Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. Then Isaiah said: ‘Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted. The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on your ancestral house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria.’
Romans 1:1-7
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,
To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Psalm 24
Domini est terra
- 1
- The earth is the LORD's and all that is in it, *
the world and all who dwell therein.- 2
- For it is he who founded it upon the seas *
and made it firm upon the rivers of the deep.- 3
- "Who can ascend the hill of the LORD? *
and who can stand in his holy place?"- 4
- "Those who have clean hands and a pure heart, *
who have not pledged themselves to falsehood,
nor sworn by what is a fraud.- 5
- They shall receive a blessing from the LORD *
and a just reward from the God of their salvation."- 6
- Such is the generation of those who seek him, *
of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob.- 7
- Lift up your heads, O gates;
lift them high, O everlasting doors; *
and the King of glory shall come in.- 8
- "Who is this King of glory?" *
"The LORD, strong and mighty,
the LORD, mighty in battle."- 9
- Lift up your heads, O gates;
lift them high, O everlasting doors; *
and the King of glory shall come in.- 10
- "Who is he, this King of glory?" *
"The LORD of hosts,
he is the King of glory." - The earth is the LORD's and all that is in it, *
Matt 1:18-25 2 Samuel 7:4,8-16
Micah 5:2-4 Hebrews 10:5-10
Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel’,
which means, ‘God is with us.’ When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.
Romans 16:25-27
Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory for ever! Amen.
Psalm
132:8-15
Memento, Domine
you and the ark of your strength.
let your faithful people sing with joy.
do not turn away the face of your Anointed.
in truth, he will not break it:
will I set upon your throne.
and my testimonies that I shall teach them, *
their children will sit upon your throne for evermore."
he has desired her for his habitation:
here will I dwell, for I delight in her.
Luke 1:26-38
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.
who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.
Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labour has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
to the people of Israel.
And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth.
‘Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body you have prepared for me;
in burnt-offerings and sin-offerings
you have taken no pleasure.
Then I said, “See, God, I have come to do your will, O God”
(in the scroll of the book it is written of me).’
When he said above, ‘You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt-offerings and sin-offerings’ (these are offered according to the law), then he added, ‘See, I have come to do your will.’ He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. And it is by God’s will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Luke 1:39-56 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’ And Mary said, And Mary remained with her for about three months and then returned to her home. Antiphon Latin O Sapientia, English O Wisdom, Genesis 49:2,8-10 Ps 72:1-8 Matt 1:1-17 Antiphon O Adonai, O Mighty Lord, Jeremiah 23:5-8 Antiphon O Radix Jesse, O Root of Jesse, Judges 13:2-7,24-25 5 12 18 19 21 23 Antiphon O Clavis David, O Key of David, Is 7:10-14 Psalm 24 7 29 34 35 38 Antiphon O Oriens, O Dawn, Song of Solomon 2:8-14 (Year C) Ps 33:1-5,20-22 Luke 1:39-45 42 Antiphon O Rex Gentium, O King of the Nations, 1 Sam 1:19-26 20 23 So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him. 24 26 Is 12:2-6 Luke 1:46-56 Antiphon O Emmanuel, O Emmanuel, Malachi 3:1-5 Luke 1:57-66 59 61 62 And they marvelled all. 64And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God. 65And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea. 66 3 4 8 Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house. 12And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. 13He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. 14I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: 15But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. 16And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever. Ps 89:1-4,19-29 19 Luke 1:67-80
Psalm
80
Qui regis Israel
shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim.
stir up your strength and come to help us.
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
how long will you be angered
despite the prayers of your people?
you have given them bowls of tears to drink.
and our enemies laugh us to scorn.
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’
quae ex ore Altissimi prodiisti,
attingens a fine usque ad finem fortiter,
suaviterque disponens omnia:
veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae..
who proceeds from the mouth of the Most High,
reaching out mightily from end to end,
and sweetly arranging all things:
come to teach us the way of peace.
8Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise:
thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies;
thy father's children shall bow down before thee.
9Judah is a lion's whelp:
from the prey, my son, thou art gone up:
he stooped down, he couched as a lion,
and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?
10The sceptre shall not depart from Judah,
nor a lawgiver from between his feet,
until Shiloh come;
and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
11Binding his foal unto the vine,
and his ass's colt unto the choice vine;
he washed his garments in wine,
and his clothes in the blood of grapes:
12His eyes shall be red with wine,
and his teeth white with milk.
and thy righteousness unto the king's son.
2He shall judge thy people with righteousness,
and thy poor with judgment.
3The mountains shall bring peace to the people,
and the little hills, by righteousness.
4He shall judge the poor of the people,
he shall save the children of the needy,
and shall break in pieces the oppressor.
5They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure,
throughout all generations.
6He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass:
as showers that water the earth.
7In his days shall the righteous flourish;
and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.
8He shall have dominion also from sea to sea,
and from the river unto the ends of the earth.
1The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
2Abraham begat Isaac;
and Isaac begat Jacob;
and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;
3And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar;
and Phares begat Esrom;
and Esrom begat Aram;
4And Aram begat Aminadab;
and Aminadab begat Naasson;
and Naasson begat Salmon;
5And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab;
and Booz begat Obed of Ruth;
and Obed begat Jesse;
6And Jesse begat David the king;
and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;
7And Solomon begat Roboam;
and Roboam begat Abia;
and Abia begat Asa;
8And Asa begat Josaphat;
and Josaphat begat Joram;
and Joram begat Ozias;
9And Ozias begat Joatham;
and Joatham begat Achaz;
and Achaz begat Ezekias;
10And Ezekias begat Manasses;
and Manasses begat Amon;
and Amon begat Josias;
11And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:
12And after they were brought to Babylon,
Jechonias begat Salathiel;
and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;
13And Zorobabel begat Abiud;
and Abiud begat Eliakim;
and Eliakim begat Azor;
14And Azor begat Sadoc;
and Sadoc begat Achim;
and Achim begat Eliud;
15And Eliud begat Eleazar;
and Eleazar begat Matthan;
and Matthan begat Jacob;
16And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary,
of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
17So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.
et dux domus Israël,
qui Moyse in igne flammae rubi apparuisti,
et ei in Sina legem dedisti:
veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.
and leader of the house of Israël,
who appeared to Moses in the burning bush,
and on Sinai gave him the law,
come to redeem us with outstretched arm.
that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch,
and a King shall reign and prosper,
and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
6In his days Judah shall be saved,
and Israel shall dwell safely:
and this is his name whereby he shall be called,
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
7Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; 8But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.
Ps 72:11-18
11Yea, all kings shall fall down before him:
all nations shall serve him.
12For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth;
the poor also, and him that hath no helper. 1
3He shall spare the poor and needy,
and shall save the souls of the needy.
14He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence:
and precious shall their blood be in his sight.
15And he shall live,
and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba:
prayer also shall be made for him continually;
and daily shall he be praised.
16There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains;
the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon:
and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.
17His name shall endure for ever:
his name shall be continued as long as the sun:
and men shall be blessed in him:
all nations shall call him blessed.
18Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel,
who only doeth wondrous things.
Matt 1:18-25
18Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. 20But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
22Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
24Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: 25And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
qui stas in signum populorum,
super quem continebunt reges os suum,
quem gentes deprecabuntur:
veni ad liberandum nos,
jam noli tardare.
who stand as a sign for the people,
kings stand silent in your presence,
whom the nations will worship:
come to set us free,
put it off no longer.
6Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible: but I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name: 7But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death.
24And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him. 25And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.
Ps 71:1-8
1In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust:
let me never be put to confusion.
2Deliver me in thy righteousness,
and cause me to escape:
incline thine ear unto me,
and save me.
3Be thou my strong habitation,
whereunto I may continually resort:
thou hast given commandment to save me;
for thou art my rock and my fortress.
4Deliver me, O my God,
out of the hand of the wicked,
out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
5For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD:
thou art my trust from my youth.
6By thee have I been holden up from the womb:
thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels:
my praise shall be continually of thee.
7I am as a wonder unto many;
but thou art my strong refuge.
8Let my mouth be filled with thy praise
and with thy honour all the day.
Luke 1:[1-4,]5-25
[1Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, 2Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; 3It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, 4That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed. ]
et sceptrum domus Israël,
qui aperis, et nemo claudit,
claudis, et nemo aperuit:
veni, et educ vinctum
de domo carceris,
sedentem in tenebris,
et umbra mortis.
and scepter of the house of Israel,
you open, and no one shuts,
you shut, and no one opens:
come, and lead the prisoner
from jail.
seated in darkness
and in the shadow of death.
the world, and they that dwell therein.
2For he hath founded it upon the seas,
and established it upon the floods.
3Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD?
or who shall stand in his holy place?
4He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart;
who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
5He shall receive the blessing from the LORD,
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6This is the generation of them that seek him,
that seek thy face, O Jacob.
Selah.
and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors;
and the King of glory shall come in.
8Who is this King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
the LORD mighty in battle.
9Lift up your heads, O ye gates;
even lift them up, ye everlasting doors;
and the King of glory shall come in.
10Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts,
he is the King of glory.
Selah.
Luke 1:26-38
26And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 28And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
splendor lucis aeternae,
et sol justitiae:
veni, et illumina
sedentes in tenebris,
et umbra mortis.
splendor of eternal light,
and sun of justice,
come, and shine on those,
seated in darkness,
and in the shadow of death.
14Sing, O daughter of Zion;
shout, O Israel;
be glad and rejoice with all the heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem.
15The LORD hath taken away thy judgments,
he hath cast out thine enemy:
the king of Israel, even the LORD,
is in the midst of thee:
thou shalt not see evil any more.
16In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem,
Fear thou not:
and to Zion,
Let not thine hands be slack.
17The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty;
he will save,
he will rejoice over thee with joy;
he will rest in his love,
he will joy over thee with singing.
18I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly.
behold, he cometh
leaping upon the mountains,
skipping upon the hills.
9My beloved is like a roe or a young hart:
behold, he standeth behind our wall,
he looketh forth at the windows,
shewing himself through the lattice.
10My beloved spake, and said unto me,
Rise up, my love, my fair one,
and come away.
11For, lo, the winter is past,
the rain is over and gone;
12The flowers appear on the earth;
the time of the singing of birds is come,
and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;
13The fig tree putteth forth her green figs,
and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell.
Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
14O my dove,
that art in the clefts of the rock,
in the secret places of the stairs,
let me see thy countenance,
let me hear thy voice;
for sweet is thy voice,
and thy countenance is comely.
for praise is comely for the upright.
2Praise the LORD with harp:
sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.
3Sing unto him a new song;
play skilfully with a loud noise.
4For the word of the LORD is right;
and all his works are done in truth.
5He loveth righteousness and judgment:
the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.
.
20Our soul waiteth for the LORD:
he is our help and our shield.
21For our heart shall rejoice in him,
because we have trusted in his holy name.
22Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us,
according as we hope in thee.
et desideratus earum,
lapisque angularis,
qui facis utraque unum:
veni, et salva hominem,
quem de limo formasti.
and the one they desired,
keystone,
who makes both peoples one,
come and save mankind,
whom you shaped from the mud.
I will trust, and not be afraid:
for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song;
he also is become my salvation.
3Therefore with joy shall ye draw water
out of the wells of salvation.
4And in that day shall ye say,
Praise the LORD, call upon his name,
declare his doings among the people,
make mention that his name is exalted.
5Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things:
this is known in all the earth.
6Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion:
for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.
My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden:
for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49For he that is mighty hath done to me great things;
and holy is his name.
50And his mercy is on them that fear him
from generation to generation.
51He hath shewed strength with his arm;
he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52He hath put down the mighty from their seats,
and exalted them of low degree.
53He hath filled the hungry with good things;
and the rich he hath sent empty away.
54He hath holpen his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy;
55As he spake to our fathers,
to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
56And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.
Rex et legifer noster,
expectatio gentium,
et Salvator earum:
veni ad salvandum nos,
Domine, Deus noster.
the one awaited by the gentiles,
and their Savior:
come to save us,
Lord our God.
2But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: 3And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. 4Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.
5And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.
Psalm 25:1-14
1 Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.
2O my God, I trust in thee:
let me not be ashamed,
let not mine enemies triumph over me.
3Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed:
let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.
4Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.
5Lead me in thy truth, and teach me:
for thou art the God of my salvation;
on thee do I wait all the day.
6Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses;
for they have been ever of old.
7Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions:
according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O LORD.
8Good and upright is the LORD:
therefore will he teach sinners in the way.
9The meek will he guide in judgment:
and the meek will he teach his way.
10All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth
unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.
11For thy name's sake, O LORD,
pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.
12What man is he that feareth the LORD?
him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.
13His soul shall dwell at ease;
and his seed shall inherit the earth.
14The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him;
and he will shew them his covenant.
1And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies; 2That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.
5Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in? 6Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. 7In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?
with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.
2For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever:
thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.
3I have made a covenant with my chosen,
I have sworn unto David my servant,
4Thy seed will I establish for ever,
and build up thy throne to all generations.
Selah.
I have laid help upon one that is mighty;
I have exalted one chosen out of the people.
20I have found David my servant;
with my holy oil have I anointed him:
21With whom my hand shall be established:
mine arm also shall strengthen him.
22The enemy shall not exact upon him;
nor the son of wickedness afflict him.
23And I will beat down his foes before his face,
and plague them that hate him.
24But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him:
and in my name shall his horn be exalted.
25I will set his hand also in the sea,
and his right hand in the rivers.
26He shall cry unto me,
Thou art my father, my God,
and the rock of my salvation.
27Also I will make him my firstborn,
higher than the kings of the earth.
28My mercy will I keep for him for evermore,
and my covenant shall stand fast with him.
29His seed also will I make to endure for ever,
and his throne as the days of heaven.
68Blessed be the Lord God of Israel;
for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
69And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
70As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets,
which have been since the world began:
71That we should be saved from our enemies,
and from the hand of all that hate us;
72To perform the mercy promised to our fathers,
and to remember his holy covenant;
73The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
74That he would grant unto us,
that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies
might serve him without fear,
75In holiness and righteousness before him,
all the days of our life.
76And thou, child,
shalt be called the prophet of the Highest:
for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
77To give knowledge of salvation unto his people
by the remission of their sins,
78Through the tender mercy of our God;
whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
79To give light to them that sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.
80And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.
Saints